Global Conservation Publishes New Book on The Leuser Ecosystem

Global Conservation has publised a new book - The Leuser Ecosystem, written and edited by Mike Griffith, which illustrates the natural beauty and biological richness, and identifies the threats and efforts that are being done to conserve the Last Place on Earth where rhino, elephants, orangutans and tigers co-exist in the wild.

Leuser Ecosystem is located in the north of Sumatra in Aceh province. Due to international support from Global Conservation and Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to support HaKA and FKL – Forum Konservation Leuser – two local NGOs and other civil society partners, much has been achieved in conserving and restoring Leuser Ecosystem in the past ten years.

There has been a significant reduction in the poaching of wildlife, illegal logging and forest clearance. Large areas previously under oil palm cultivation have been restored to their natural forest cover and the wildlife is returning. To deal with the potential loss of extremely important areas such as certain river valleys some land has been purchased and will be safeguarded in perpetuity under conservation.

Destruction of Leuser Ecosystem for palm oil.

Global Conservation has consistently supported the protection of Leuser Ecosystem, and has persuaded many others to do the same. Gratitude should also be extended to HaKA and FKL, which provided many of the new photos for this edition.

Coopers Hill in Singapore also deserves great credit particularly for the layout and the graphic illustrations that depict difficult concepts and provide a vision for Leuser’s future.

The growing commitment of many grass roots organizations in Aceh gives real hope that the future conservation of the Leuser Ecosystem is in good hands and that the efforts to protect it will carry on.

The Leuser Ecosystem, one of the most important rainforests in Southeast Asia, is being destroyed for massive industrial development including the expansion of palm oil plantations. Every day, important sections of this precious ecosystem are being systematically cut down, pushing rare species like Sumatran orangutans, elephants and rhinos to the brink of extinction.
 

For an indepth look at Leuser Ecosystem - see Leuser Film.

The Leuser Ecosystem is a vast, teeming, ancient landscape on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia that covers over 6.5 million acres including lowland and mountainous rainforests and over 460,000 acres of carbon-rich peatlands. It is like nowhere else on Earth—it contains some of the world’s highest known levels of plant and animal diversity including at least 105 mammal species, 382 bird species, and 95 reptile and amphibian species.

It is also home to the largest extent of intact forest landscapes remaining in Sumatra. Scientists and conservationists consider the Leuser Ecosystem to be among the most important forests left in Southeast Asia, particularly because it is the last place in the region of sufficient size and quality to support viable populations of rare species like Sumatran tigers, orangutans, rhinos, elephants, clouded leopards and sun bears. The Leuser Ecosystem is in fact the last place on Earth where all these species can still be found together.

The forests of the Leuser Ecosystem provide a steady, clean water supply to millions of people living in Aceh, a province home to a diverse range of rural communities—many of whom have lived in the region for generations and depend on the ecosystem for their food and their livelihoods.

The region also plays a critical role in regulating the global climate by storing massive amounts of carbon in its peatlands and standing forests.

It is hoped that delving into this book will give real hope to the many people who are already helping to support Leuser Ecosystem, and inspire more people and organizations to join this great conservation effort.